by Peter T. Kent, Published-Morung Express, January 8, 2018
This article is a personal reflection triggered by Dr Visier Sanyu’s writings for all right thinking Nagas. On January 4, 2018, I came across Dr Sanyu’s article, “Naga: A Nation of Peoples”, published by the Morung Express and I told myself, “hey I have known him as a dynamic and passionate gentleman”. Back in 2006, when I was down with dengue fever in one refugee camp along the Thai-Burma border, Dr Sanyu happen to visit the same camp and the institution where I was teaching along with two Naga volunteers. I met him for the first time and after learning about our situation he gave his assurance to raise funds for our personal necessities. Through him, I and two of my Naga colleagues were greatly helped by his friends from Australia.
Today as I go through his thoughts, I see him not only as a renowned historian but also a visionary and passionate Naga patriot who would not give up the hope of seeing a “Naga: A Nation of peoples” in history. Dr Sanyu underlines this historical possibility only “when India is ready” to discuss about the issue of Naga sovereignty. He begins his article stating that “Naga Nation is an imagined creation, a historical process and a historical necessity”. Then, he emphasizes on the notion of “Nagas Without Borders” by saying that “Naga ancestral land belongs to the Nagas and to no one else. We have the right to live together with our own laws and our own culture. We have the right to inherit our ancestral land.” Finally he ends quoting T. Sakhrie, the then General Secretary of National Council, “If I were to choose a country it would be Nagaland, my fair Nagaland, again and again.”
This sort of deep seated thoughts churned out from his vast readings, wide interactions with great personalities from both local and global contexts, and from his own personal experiences have no doubt stirred up the flame of Naga patriotism even to a simple soul like mine. I believe the same flame of Naga patriotism will definitely be ignited within any Naga soul if only they sincerely go through his article. On a wider scale, to stir up and keep this flame burning, Nagas are looking forward for the first ever “Naga Day” on January 10, under the theme “Nagas Without Border”, anticipating that this would serve as an “opportunity to come in solidarity and stand together as one people”.
In the midst of moral brokenness and narrow sectarianisms which have become rampant among Nagas in almost all social groups, Dr Sanyu’s article and the FNR’s call for “Naga Day” is timely and necessary to realign all Nagas into the big picture of being, first and foremost, a Naga. I pray that this Day would not only mark an event when we merely “stand” together as groups of indifferent peoples but instead gather as one true Naga people who reaffirm and recommit to “live” as “one people” irrespective of time, space and situation.
Now having mentioned my motive, it would be hypocrisy if we make “one people” a precondition of our Naga political aspiration. The given political situation entails us to live within the Indian government but this need not limit us to live as “one people”. Our essence of oneness essentially springs from who we are historically and culturally. This is the foundational reason of our Naga political movement and the theme “Nagas Without Borders”. This is the reason why we have been demanding Indian government to respect our uniqueness as “one people”.
However, if we fail to respect each other among ourselves, who on earth would care to respect us? If we practice any forms of political and cultural hegemony, why shouldn’t other larger and powerful nation impose themselves on us? Therefore, as Nagas cry for justice from the Indian government, we need to introspect whether we have been a people who practices justice, if not to others, but atleast among ourselves.
The recent cries of the Chang Khulie Setshang (CKS) to exclude their Chingmei Range villages from the newly created Noklak District and the cries of the Rengma Hoho to upgrade Tseminyu Sub-Division (ref. “Rengma Hoho justifies district demand”, published by Morung Express, January 4, 2018) only shows the indifference and apathy of our own Naga brethrens who have been given the political power to shepherd and govern. If there is indifference, apathy and hegemonic attitude towards each other, how then shall we envision the idea of “one people”? If we cannot live with dignity by way of respecting each other’s distinctive Naga sub-cultures and histories, how then shall we live as a Naga family? If we cannot live as a “nation” within the Indian Union, how then shall we live as a sovereign nation? Unlike T. Sakhrie, surely I cannot choose Nagaland as my country if Nagaland undermines my Naga sub-cultural identity and being.
The idea of communities and nationhood, and likewise, the carving of administrative blocks, is only an imagined creation which arises out of historical processes and historical necessities. So as Nagas aspire for the recognition of this creation with the Indian Goverment, Nagas also need to do justice, now and even in the future, in creating administrative blocks by respecting the identity and sentiments of communities as this would eventually form the backbone of our identity and existence. Only then we would not merely “stand” but “live” as “one people” not only on Naga Day but also throughout Naga history. Surely then, all generations of Nagas would gracefully and proudly choose Nagaland as their beloved country.
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